187. MARGARITIS (1810-1892), Philippos, James ROBERTSON (1813-1888), “GUIBAUD”(?) and others (photographers).
[Athens and the surrounding area], a collection of photographs [Athens: circa 1863]. 26 mounted albumen photographs (9¼ x 12 inches; 235 x 305mm. and smaller), all on early card mounts, some with photographers' stamps on the verso of the mounts, by Margaritis (2), Robertson (1), “Guibaud” (8), C. Schiffer (3), H. Beck (1) and others; 1 mounted original watercolor of the Parthenon, unsigned, (71/4 x 10 1/8 inches; 184 x 260mm.), 1 mounted pencil and watercolor study, signed L. de Geofroy and dated “10 Oct. 1863”. (7¾ x 5 inches; 193 x 125mm.). Provenance : Francis Henri Louis de Geofroy (b.1822, French diplomat); by descent.
a fine representative sample of the work of some of the earliest photographers to work in greece. Margaritis was the first Greek professional photographer. He studied painting in Rome and taught drawing in Athens. Around 1846 he met Philibert Perraud in Athens, where Perraud taught him photography. Margaritis thereafter established the first photography studio in Greece, based out of his house, where he photographed Athens' high society. He was active as a photographer from the early 1850s until around 1863. Other named photographers include H. Beck, C. Schiffer and James Robertson. Eight of the images are by “Guibaud”, a photographer about whom we have been unable to find any information: each of the eight images by “Guibaud” is actually signed by the photographer rather than signed in the negative or stamped, and their level of technical excellence and artistic understanding of the medium suggest an artist of some stature. The collection was assembled by the French diplomat Francis de Geofroy. Born in 1822, de Geofroy's professional career took him to Washington (where he met his American-born wife), Athens (when the present selection was put together), Madrid, Peking and Japan. The collection includes one image showing a party of 10 men and one woman posed by the Acropolis, the image is inscribed “Acropole / 1863” on the verso and the sitters may well include de Geofroy himself.
est. $3000 – £5000